Our favourite time of year for Chalk Downland sites; Wild Thyme, Eyebright, Yellow Wort, Betony, Kidney Vetch, Vipers Bugloss, Hedge Bedstraw, Bastard Toadflax, Common Twayblade, Southern Marsh and Pyramidal Orchids are all in flower on Bindon Hill.
A Hobby has been frequently spotted catching insects on Bindon Hill by different observers. These Kestrel sized birds of prey dash after small birds such as Swallows and House martins which also provide a spectacle on the hill over the summer months. Dungy Head has been good for spotting the juveniles of many bird species; members of our team enjoyed watching a family of Rock Pipits on the shoreline as well as young Linnets and Whitethroats.
When the sun is out and the winds have been gentler, we have seen Small and Adonis Blues, Large, Small and Lulworth Skippers, Red Admiral, Meadow Brown, and Small Heath butterflies. It really has been a case of seize the day in between the wind and the rain!
We have seen an increase in dragonfly species over the last few weeks; a magnificent looking species is the Golden-ringed dragonfly with its black and yellow stripes, which we saw in the grounds of Lulworth Castle
For the flower of the month we have chosen Kidney Vetch which is looking spectacular with its big woolly flower heads below bright-yellow petals. This is the larval food plant of the Small Blue butterfly which is a Butterfly Conservation priority species as its range is declining in the UK
Lulworth Rangers
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